Rural Health
News by Topic: Health insurance
Dec 4, 2025 - Highlights the work of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine in supporting rural health across the state. Discusses their work in securing funding for expanding medical training, partnering with the state's Medicaid program to advance maternal health outcomes, and supporting the emergency care workforce through professional development.
Source: Nevada Today
CMS: Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs; Provider Enrollment Application Fee Amount for Calendar Year 2026
Federal Register
Dec 3, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announcing the application fee for providers initially enrolling in the Medicare or Medicaid programs, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); revalidating their Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP enrollment; or adding a new Medicare practice location. The new fee is $750 and is required for applications submitted January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Dec 2, 2025 - Notice of a final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updating the home health payment rates for calendar year (CY) 2026. This rule also finalizes changes to the face-to-face encounter policy, Home Health Quality Reporting Program (HH QRP), and the expanded Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model requirements; updates the Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program (CBP); and makes a technical change to the home health conditions of participation. Among other things, this rule also finalizes permanent and temporary behavior adjustments and recalibrates the case-mix weights and update the functional impairment levels; comorbidity subgroups; and low-utilization payment adjustment (LUPA) thresholds for CY 2026. These regulations are effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Quarterly Listing of Program Issuances-July through September 2025
Federal Register
Dec 1, 2025 - Quarterly listing of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) manual instructions, substantive and interpretive regulations, and Federal Register notices published from July through September 2025, including contact information for general questions or additional information about specific sections.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is
seeking comments on the following information collections:
1) Medicaid Program; Eligibility Changes under the
Affordable Care Act of 2010 and 2) Solicitation for
Applications for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan 2027
Contracts. Comments are due by December 29, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) making technical corrections to the
November 5, 2025, final rule. This correction is
effective January 1, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice of a proposed rule from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would revise the Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit (Part D), and Medicare cost plan regulations. Proposed revisions would implement changes related to Star Ratings, marketing and communications, drug coverage, enrollment processes, special needs plans, and other programmatic areas for contract year 2027. Among other things, this proposed rule also includes a request for information regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) that would modernize and improve the MA program and could be implemented through either programmatic changes or through a CMS Innovation Center (CMMI) model. Comments are due by January 26, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
CMS: Privacy Act of 1974; Matching Program; Correction
Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) making corrections to the
November 18, 2025, notice titled "Determining
Eligibility for Enrollment in Applicable State Health
Subsidy Programs Under the Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act."
Source: Federal Register
Nov 28, 2025 - Notice from the Department of Health and Human Services
releasing the Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP)
rates for the period of October 1, 2026, through September
30, 2027. The rates are used to determine the amount of
Federal matching for state Medicaid, Temporary Assistance
for Needy Family (TANF) Contingency Funds, and Enhanced
Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (eFMAP) rates for
the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
expenditures, among other federal assistance programs.
Source: Federal Register
Nov 25, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) making changes to the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and the Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) payment system for calendar year 2026, including changes to the amounts and factors used to determine the payment rates for Medicare services paid under the OPPS and those paid under the ASC payment systems. Among other things, this rule also updates the requirements for the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program, Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting Program, Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program, Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, and hospitals to make public their standard charge information and enforcement of hospital price transparency. This rule also announces the closure of a teaching hospital and the opportunity to apply for available slots. This rule is effective January 1, 2026. Applications for available resident spots are due by February 19, 2026.
Source: Federal Register